The mage engages in long-range combat.
BANG─!
Clearly, this is common sense.
PAHAANG!
Ice exploded like shotgun pellets before Han-shin. Despite being a mage, Ezekiel showed no reluctance in close combat. He was anything but conventional.
“…Seol-gwi, that’s the second time I’ve blocked your attack.”
Han-shin swiftly swung his sword, shaking off the shards of ice clinging to the blade. It seemed he was confident of his victory through this defense.
But that didn’t matter.
Ezekiel felt the brewing excitement within him.
‘Not even close.’
He felt it in his body and mind.
Moving now felt like running underwater in extreme fatigue; he had struggled all along.
The environment had become comfortable, and his energy was surging. He wanted to explain this to his opponent so badly, it was itching to come out of his mouth.
Ezekiel crunched on some Sunweed and said,
“Blocked it twice, should I praise you?”
“I see you still have the luxury to joke.”
Han-shin silently took up a defensive stance, lifting his sword. It wasn’t hard to grasp his intentions.
‘Planning to break me down with perfect defense, huh?’
It seemed he wanted to crush Ezekiel’s spirit by blocking every attack, but…
Did Han-shin know?
No, he didn’t know that Ezekiel hadn’t yet committed fully.
He began to channel mana alongside the chill.
Before, he had to freeze the surface of his mana to avoid being consumed by it, but he no longer had to worry about such side effects. So, he began to adapt.
He layered mana over his ice.
SHHAAANG─!
The spikes of mana-coated ice began to rain down on Han-shin. Countless in number.
The mana held by the spirit blood gem was incredibly pure, and it soon cracked Han-shin’s fortitude.
Mana can break mana after all.
“…What?”
Han-shin stepped back in panic for a moment, but Ezekiel only chuckled calmly.
“You’re not going to back down.”
SHHAAANG─!
Once again, countless ice spikes were fired.
“This time you should’ve attacked instead.”
BAH-BAH-BAH─!
There was no way to block such a massive volume with a sword, let alone with pure strength.
“Seol-gwi! How dare you be so arrogant…!”
Han-shin hastily changed his stance and launched his own attack.
CRACK─! CRACK─!
Each swing of his sword shattered Ezekiel’s ice barriers effortlessly, sending bits flying everywhere.
What tremendous power. Such a smooth swordsmanship.
Indeed, it was the sword of a demon.
Ezekiel had faced such power before against previous demon lords.
But now was different; it was his strength.
In the past, he had felt overwhelmed countless times, yet now he felt nothing of the sort. Instead, it was exhilarating.
CRACK─!
The ice barriers kept shattering? In other words, he hadn’t allowed a single effective hit.
Ezekiel could counterattack immediately but chose not to. He was observing the demon lord’s swordsmanship.
‘What a fine teaching tool.’
Though his personality and taste were atrocious, the swordplay was clean. Ezekiel decided it was worth remembering and utilizing later.
He accelerated the creation of his ice barriers.
CRACK─! CRACK─!
The longer the defense lasted, the stronger and faster Han-shin’s sword became. Little by little, he began to unveil incredible techniques in an attempt to break through Ezekiel’s defenses.
CRACK─!
At one moment, suddenly,
When an epiphany flashed in Ezekiel’s mind like a lightbulb, he finally ceased his defense.
PAHAANG─!
An ice spear he had created split the air.
“…!”
Han-shin immediately recognized the movement.
Ezekiel merely launched the created ice spear, yet its trajectory aligned perfectly with Han-shin’s swordplay. He had no choice but to feel startled.
“You can read my movements…?”
Ezekiel didn’t give Han-shin a moment to finish his sentence. He plunged ice spears generated from the air to the ground like a flurry as if swinging them.
With a sly grin, Ezekiel said,
“Are you counting your defensive moves now? It was quite entertaining.”
POUK─! POUK─! POUK─! POUK─!
Continuously, the ice spears created in midair fell sharply to the ground with their own trajectories. The key point was that Han-shin began to attempt to dodge.
A mage isn’t suited to wield a sword, huh?
Then just shoot them following that trajectory.
The method may differ, but those with talent understand they can apply the same principles in various ways. Ezekiel found himself smiling involuntarily.
Having talent.
…When he thought it over, he realized he belonged in that category.
POUK─! POUK─! POUK─! POUK─!
He had simply been unwell before.
All his efforts to rebel despite having a poor body, were embedded in his ice, actions, and mana manipulation.
Reading the bewildered movements of Han-shin, Ezekiel pressed on with the attack.
‘…Applying my swordplay with magic? How?’
Han-shin’s expression twisted in frustration.
‘How dare a mere human do this to my unique swordplay!’
Even describing him as a mere human felt lacking.
To the Dullahan, whose origin led innumerable beings to death, humans were as trivial as flies; a mere touch would lead to their demise. Just that much.
Yet this being was currently shooting ice spears using his swordplay against Han-shin.
“Seol-gwi…! Today I will tear you apart…!”
He shouted out in a fit of rage.
Yet what truly enraged Han-shin wasn’t merely losing the fight; it was the fact that someone had completely read his unique swordsmanship.
How many might win in a fight against oneself? He too understood his opponent well, but his opponent knew him just as well, which left him uncertain.
And finally.
POUK─!
An ice spear coated with mana pierced Han-shin’s shoulder. The dodge and defense were penetrated.
“What in the world, how, can a mere human─!”
Han-shin.
The one who controlled the grudge lodged within his heart.
He was now beginning to harbor resentment that his own attacks weren’t effective against Ezekiel. It was inevitable that a gap would form. Ezekiel relentlessly exploited that.
POUK─!
As though he had fully read Han-shin’s swordplay, an ice spear perfectly dodged the sword’s swing and impaled his abdomen.
GURK!
POUK─!
His anger drove him to strike even harder, but he couldn’t block all the ice spears raining down from the blind spots.
It was as if a knight of equal swordsmanship was attacking him from all directions.
“Han-shin, it’s about time we finish this.”
With Ezekiel’s quiet remark, it was revealed.
Ice spears expertly rained from all directions, alongside an illusion of him striking from every side.
‘How…?’
WHOOSH─!
Before long, Han-shin had become a porcupine, with ice spears sticking all over him. Yet still, what infuriated him even more was Ezekiel’s gaze.
Despite pushing Han-shin to this state, he showed no delight, no admiration, and treated this situation with utter disdain.
As if Han-shin didn’t matter, he was only pleased with his own attacks.
CREEEAK─.
His body trembled with rage at that sight.
“I am, after all, Han-shin─!”
Han-shin drove his sword harshly into the ground, causing the earth to crack as if an earthquake had occurred.
KWAAANG─!
Ezekiel stepped back a few paces to avoid the shock, but Han-shin began to sneer as he gripped his sword tightly that had been thrust into the ground.
“Seol-gwi, I acknowledge that I underestimated you.”
“I overestimated you. Same difference.”
“…Hmph.”
In that moment, a terrifying mana began to surge from him.
“Instead, I will grant you my Transcendence.”
“Transcendence?”
“Consider it an honor, the first and last human to witness my Transcendence. You shall face all the grievances sleeping within you.”
WHOOSH─!
“The name of my Transcendence is Pain.”
Han-shin unleashed an overwhelming surge of mana. Additionally, a barrier-like aura attempted to engulf Ezekiel.
But instead, Ezekiel moved closer to Han-shin.
It was a distance where he could get cut.
But he didn’t care. He dove deep.
Ezekiel’s palm dropped swiftly.
THWACK─
Like softly landing snowflakes, it gently rested on the center of Han-shin’s chest.
CRACKLECRACKLECRACKLECRACKLE─!
Simultaneously, Han-shin’s entire body froze.
SHIVER…
His attempt to invoke his Transcendence was abruptly halted, filled with shock and horror.
“You’ve stopped the activation of my Transcendence? You….”
Han-shin stared at Ezekiel, filled with horror and doubt. Ezekiel calmly opened his mouth.
“I once acquired a demonic sword during a mission on the continent. It was a truly worthless sword. But, it had effects similar to what you just described as Transcendence.”
“…”
“I realized why that demonic sword was so trivial. You were its master. How pathetic it must have been to have a master like you.”
Han-shin quivered but couldn’t utter a word; his insides were completely frozen solid.
Ezekiel continued to chew on his Sunweed.
“Han-shin, you’re the one who should bear a grudge.”
His palm slowly began to turn blue. A massive chill was gathering.
“Embrace the very essence of your existence as a grudge. For eternity.”
No response came.
When the hand that rested upon him began to glow ominously, Ezekiel quietly muttered,
“Conclusion.”
CREEEAK─!
Han-shin’s breath stopped.
In this moment, Ezekiel’s realm far surpassed his.
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